A vehicle drive device has hitherto been known that includes an engine whose output torque is adjusted by a throttle position of an electronic throttle valve , and an automatic transmission performing a clutch-to-clutch shift that makes up part of a power transmission path between the engine and drive wheels. An example thereof is a vehicle controller of Patent Document 1. A control device of the vehicle controller disclosed in Patent Document 1 basically opens the electronic throttle valve to a greater extent to increase the engine torque according as a depressing amount (an operating amount) of an accelerator pedal becomes large. However, when a similar throttle position control is provided at the time of a power-on downshift during which the downshift of the automatic transmission is performed as a result of depressing the accelerator pedal, as depicted in FIG. 12 the output torque of the automatic transmission rises at a portion A1 in response to the depressing amount of the accelerator pedal, falls at a portion A2 since a clutch torque capacity within the automatic transmission lowers temporarily due to the clutch-to-clutch shift, and again rises at a portion A3 the instant the clutch torque capacity recovers. Thus, when two-stage acceleration shocks occur as indicated by the portions A1 and A3, there was a possibility that the driver may feel a sense of discomfort. To alleviate the two-stage acceleration shocks, the control device of the vehicle controller of Patent Document 1 limits the engine torque, i.e., an input torque to the automatic transmission up to the start of an inertia phase of the downshift at the time of the power-on downshift.